Radio Chicago: WCPD
by Ms Isabella
Summary: Written for the Shuffle Challenge. Challenge was from 2NYwLove to put your MP3 player on Shuffle and write 10 ficlets from the first 10 songs that were playing. These are my ficlets. Enjoy! Feel free to read, review, and comment... you just might get an answer back.


Radio Chicago WCPD

_Author's Note: I was challenged by 2NYWLove to do the Shuffle challenge. Music Player on…. The first 10 Songs…. Hank and Jessica Voight…. You are the lucky winners of the Radio Chicago Ficlet Challenge…. _

#2 Working My Way Back To You The Spinners

_Chicago, 1999_

Hank Voight left the District and headed to his car. He checked his watch. 2:30 AM. It had been a hell of a long day. He got in the car and started the engine. He drove on what was almost auto pilot to Roger's Park.

He parked the car in the diner parking lot and went inside. He took his usual seat in the back booth. Jessica, the night waitress greeted him with a hot cup of coffee and a smile.

"Detective Voight, fancy meeting you here," she said as she slid the coffee in front of him.

"Very funny, Jess."

"You know, we have to stop meeting like this," she cracked.

"You're in rare form tonight," he retorted.

"Yeah, well, aced my Midterm."

She fussed with her order pad, and pulled the pen out from behind her ear. "What can I get you?"

"Blueberry pancakes, double bacon. Lots of coffee."

She nodded. "Be right up."

Voight stared out the window while he waited for his breakfast. He kept telling himself that he was only coming here because he was hungry and he could check on her. He had met her a few months earlier when some idiot tried to rob the diner. By the time he and Olinsky had arrived on the scene, she had managed to clock him upside the head with a glass sugar container. Once he was on the floor, she had duct taped his ankles, hands and mouth. Voight shook his head. She didn't need watching, but he felt the need to stop in and check on her. Never mind that she had the longest legs he had ever seen, and the cutest butt in the City of Chicago.

Jess set the plate of pancakes in front of him and slid in the booth across from him. "So, how was your day, Dear?" she asked.

#9 The Power of Love Huey Lewis And The News

_Chicago 1999_

"Oh, come on Jess, just go out with him," Nicole pleaded.

"I can't, Nicole."

"Why not? And don't tell me you're in love with that cop that keeps coming in the diner."

"Ok, I won't," Jess said quietly.

"Jess, he's old enough to be your father for Chrissakes."

"So? I can't help who I fall in love with, Nicole. I know it's crazy, but there's just something about him."

"Yeah, he probably has a big dick."

"He might."

"Jess, do I have to remind you he's married?"

"No."

Jess sighed. Nicole was never going to understand how she felt about Voight. Hell, she didn't understand it herself. He was all wrong for her—at least 20 years older than she was, married, had a son and a sick wife. But she couldn't help it. There was something about him that she found attractive. He always came in to the diner at least once during his shift to check on her. If his shift was over, he usually stayed and had something to eat, and she sat with him while he ate. She loved it when he visited. With him, she could be herself. She couldn't be herself with very many people.

"So come out with Joe and me. We can find you a date."

"No thanks. I'm gonna stay home and wash my hair of something."

"Pine away for the cop, no doubt," Nicole reminded.

Jess had had enough of her needling. "Shut up!" she screamed.

"What did you say?" Nicole asked, shocked. Jess never lost her temper. She was one of the calmest people she had ever met.

"I said shut up. I'm tired of your needling and trying to fix me up. I love Hank. I don't want to go out with anyone else."

Jess rose from the couch and headed off to her bedroom. She needed to get away from Nicole, but more importantly, she wished that Hank wasn't home with his wife but was in her bedroom sitting quietly so she could have someone to have an intelligent conversation with. She sighed. She loved him. There was no doubt about that.

#5 The Boys Of Summer Don Henley

_Chicago, Summer 2010_

Voight slid his arm around Jessica's seat and sipped his beer. His beloved White Sox had just taken the field. He knew she wasn't going to enjoy the game as much as he was. She was a Cubs fan. Of course she was. She lived in Roger's Park. Almost everyone who lived North was a Cubs fan. He smiled. Chicago was a city divided by baseball, but united by football, basketball, and hockey.

Jess sipped her beer and tried to concentrate on the game. She wasn't having much luck. She and Hank were on an actual date. Dates didn't happen often, but she knew that going into the relationship with him. He was deep in the Gang Unit, and he wanted her safe and protected, so no one knew about her. He didn't want his work life spilling over into his personal life and hurting those he loved. She turned to face him.

"Great night for a ball game," she observed.

"Sure is. Glad we got to come."

She nodded. "Me too."

"Next time, I promise we'll go see the Cubs."

"No biggie. I'm just happy to spend time with you."

Voight leaned close and lowered his voice so only she could hear. "Love you."

"Love you too."

#1 One Heartbeat Smokey Robinson

_Chicago, December 15, 2010_

Hank lay in bed on his back. He stared at the ceiling while Jess slept. He absently stroked her back.

He had just turned 50. 50 damn years old. His whole life flashed before his eyes. Growing up. Becoming a cop. Marrying Camille. Bringing Justin home from the hospital. Camille getting sick. Meeting Jess. Falling in love with Jess. Making Detective. Camille dying. Jess's gifts for his 50th. The best one lying in bed beside him, sleeping like she didn't have a care in the world.

She stirred and rolled over. "Hank?" she asked softly.

"You knew I was awake?" he asked softly.

"Um hum. Something wrong?"

"No, just thinking."

He slid his arm under her head. "Come here."

She shifted and moved closer, settling her head on his chest. She closed her eyes. "I can hear your heartbeat."

He kissed the top of her head. She was humming something softly.

"Jessica Marie, what are you doing?"

"It's an old Smokey Robinson song."

"Which one?"

"One Heartbeat. _Take it one heartbeat at a time. Close your eyes and let your soul unwind. Sooner or later, it'll all fall in line. If we take it one heartbeat at a time…._"

Voight hugged her tighter. "Never figured you for the romantic type."

"I'm not. I'm a realist. But I like the song. And you really need to sleep. You have to work in the morning."

"So do you," he reminded.

"I just have to give a final. No biggie."

He closed his eyes. Damned if he didn't have that song stuck in his head.

#3 Nights Are Forever England Dan and John Ford Coley

_Chicago, 2011_

Jess rolled over and stared at the alarm clock. 3 AM. She had been tossing and turning since Midnight. She hated nights like tonight. Nights when Hank wasn't sleeping over were the worst. She had grown so used to having him beside her that when he wasn't there, she slept poorly.

She sighed and rolled over again. She reached out and hugged his pillow to her. His after shave still clung to the pillowcase. She wished she could be modern enough to ask him to move in. She sighed. Hank was too old school and too macho. He had to be the one to do the courting. She knew he would never go for it, so she had to be satisfied with the few nights a week that he did spend the night.

She sighed. She wished tonight was one of those nights because she really missed him. She rolled over again, taking the pillow with her.

It was going to be a very long night….

#10 Drive The Cars

_Chicago, Summer 2011_

Jess handed Voight her bag and watched him toss it in the trunk next to his. He had suggested a weekend getaway and she was all for it. She was looking forward to spending the weekend with Voight and somewhere that was not in the City of Chicago's boundaries. She had no idea where they were going, but she was more than ready to go.

She got in the passenger seat of the convertible she had rented. All of her life, she wanted to ride down Lake Shore Drive in a convertible. Voight quit fussing in the trunk and got in the driver's seat. He started the engine and they pulled out of the parking space.

Two hours later, the Voight's drove into Milwaukee.

"Milwaukee?" Jess asked.

When Voight had said they were going away for the weekend, she had envisioned an isolated cabin on a lake where they could swim, fish, canoe, and build a campfire to cook the fish they had caught. Instead, she was looking at downtown Milwaukee, and confused as Hell.

Voight stopped at the light. "We can get checked in and get cleaned up. We can eat at the game."

"Game?"

"Jessica Marie, you're the Cubs fan. Where are they playing tonight?"

"They're on the road," she said automatically. :"They're playing the Brewers-" she broke off when she realized where she was and what Voight had just said.

She threw her arms around him and bent in to give him a kiss.

"I got tickets to all three games," he explained.

She was so touched that he would do this for her, she wanted to cry, but she couldn't. Jessica Miller did not cry.

"Hank, you are the sweetest guy in the world. Thank you."

#4 Rhythm Of The Rain Dan Fogelberg

_Chicago, 2012_

The city was drowning, Or so Chicagoans thought. Everywhere she went, Jess heard comments about growing webbed feet or building Arks.

She sighed. She was tired of the rain too, but there was nothing she could do about it. She unlocked the apartment door and stepped inside. She was instantly greeted by the smell of red sauce. "Hank?" she called.

"In the kitchen," he called.

She kicked off her shoes and headed for the kitchen. "Didn't expect to see you here tonight," she started as she walked over to him and gave him a kiss.

"Damn rain is depressing everyone. I thought you might need some cheering up, so I decided to make pasta. Thought we could eat it in front of the fireplace."

"Henry James Voight, you are such a romantic," she said as she gave him a hug and a kiss. "That sounds like heaven. I have the perfect wine too."

"I knew you would."

She walked over to her wine rack and selected a bottle. She handed it to him. He nodded.

She uncorked it and poured them each a glass. "So, you think you can ply me with wine and pasta and you'll get laid?" she teased.

"Honey, I ply you with pasta and wine and I know I'm gonna get laid," he said confidently.

"Damn. I'm too easy."

"Not really. I seem to remember I had to wait till my 50th birthday."

She leaned over and gave him a kiss. "Good things come to those who wait."

"And it was a hell of a good thing," he smirked.

#7 The Thunder Rolls Garth Brooks

_Chicago, 2012_

Voight glanced down at the body. Another senseless murder in the city he loved. This one looked barely 21. He knew from the Medical Examiner that she was 24. He stood up from his crouch and walked over to Olinsky.

"It's the weather. All of this rain is making people crazy," Olinsky offered.

"It sure is," Voight agreed. "Third one this week."

"And the sucky thing about all of this rain is we lose evidence."

Voight nodded. The rain was getting on everyone's nerves. While Chicagoans could handle the cold and snowy winters, they wanted sun in the summer, not an entire week of endless rain. According to the weather people, a cold front was stalled and didn't seem to want to move out any time soon.

"We'll find them, Al. We always do."

"We do. Sometimes it just takes us longer than others."

"Job security."

"That too."

"Better start canvassing. Maybe somebody saw something."

"Are you crazy? In this neighborhood, nobody saw anything."

"Maybe someone will slip up," Voight said optimistically.

"We have a better chance of finding Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny than we do finding a witness to this murder."

"So let's shake some trees and turn over any rabbit holes. We just might find something."

#6 Dreams Fleetwood Mac

_Chicago, August 2014_

Jessica was in the kitchen cooking breakfast while Voight showered. She had bacon cooking in one pan and eggs in another. Two pieces of bread sat in the toaster ready to be popped down as soon as he hit the kitchen. The coffee pot was full except for the cup Jessica had poured for herself while she was cooking.

Voight entered the kitchen and slid the knob down on the toaster. He gave Jessica a kiss and poured himself a mug of coffee. Jessica slid the cooked eggs on to a plate and added bacon. When the toast popped, she put it on a smaller plate and set everything in front of him.

She sat down opposite him.

Voight ate his breakfast. She nibbled bacon.

"So I was thinking," he said.

She stopped chewing and swallowed.

"Let's get married."

Her eyes widened. "Hank?"

I'm serious, Jess. We can go down to City Hall and be the first in line."

"Okay," she agreed. "But can we finish breakfast first?"

#8 Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo Tracy Byrd

_Chicago, October 2014_

"You'll like this place," Nicole told Jess as they stepped inside Molly's.

"You remember I'm an old married woman now. I'm not supposed to be hanging in bars," Jess reminded.

"Yeah, you old fuddy duddy. Why'd you go and marry Hank for anyway?"

"I don't know. He asked. I said yes. Seemed like a good thing to do at the time."

"Oh, bullshit! You love him and you know it."

"Of course I do."

Jess took in the bar. The stares from the patrons made her slightly uncomfortable. She felt like fresh meat at the zoo.

The stares didn't seem to bother Nicole. She happily made her way to the bar and greeted the bartender like he was a long lost friend.

"Two shots of Jose Cuervo, Brian," she said as she fished her money out of her wallet.

The bartender named Brian poured two shots of the top shelf tequila.

"Cheers!" Nicole said as she saluted Jess. She tossed the shot back.

Jess took a sip and made a face. She was used to Petron. Anything else tasted cheap and awful. 

"Jessica Marie Voight, you're supposed to drink it down in one drink. You're not supposed to sip it," Nicole admonished.

At the mention of her name, Jess noticed the bar had gone almost silent. She knew coming in here was a big mistake. It was definitely a firefighter's bar. She was a cop's wife. She heard the buzz of voices wondering if she was indeed, Hank Voight's wife.

Nicole seemed oblivious. She was already working on her third shot.

"Come on, Nic, let's get you home," she offered.

"We just got here!" Nicole protested.

"Yes, and you're already three sheets to the wind."

Nicole turned back to the bartender and ordered another shot. Jess pulled out her phone and sent a text.

Ten minutes later, Nicole's older brother made his way through the door.

"Everything alright?" he asked Jess.

"She's gone 10 rounds with Jose Cuervo."

"Oh, great. She can't hold her booze when she's drinking tequila."

Jess nodded. "Can you please get her home? I need to get out of here."

"Not a problem. I'll come back and get her car in the morning."

She watched Nicole being dragged off by her brother. She approached the bar and ordered a round for the house before exiting the bar and heading back to her apartment.


End file.
